Restaurant workers jailed for vote-rigging at DC Election
2012-10-10
Three restaurant workers, charged by the ICAC, were today (Wednesday) sentenced at Kowloon City Magistracy for their roles in vote-rigging in relation to the 2011 Yau Tsim Mong District Council (DC) Election (King’s Park Constituency).
Tai Hoi-lung, 50, and Chan Sun-hui, 32, both waiters, were each given a jail term of two months, while Yeung Pui-kwan, 42, cashier, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.
Tai and Chan earlier each pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in corrupt conduct with respect to voting at election, contrary to Section 16(1)(b)(i) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance (ECICO), while Yeung earlier pleaded guilty t o one count of conspiracy to defraud.
In sentencing, Magistrate Ms Cherry Hui Shuk-yee remarked that Yeung played a pivotal role in the vote-rigging scam by letting others use her address to register as electors.
The magistrate added that the jail terms of the defendants were reduced by one-third, taking into account their guilty pleas.
Upon the application of Yeung and Chan, the magistrate granted them cash bail of $5,000 each, pending their appeals against sentences. They were also ordered to surrender their travel documents, not to leave Hong Kong, and to report to the Police twice a week.
The court heard that on July 16, 2011, Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan submitted to the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) their applications for registering as electors at the DC Election.
In their applications, Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan respectively stated that a flat in Hung Wai Building, 3 Fa Yuen Street, Mongkok was their only or principal residential address.
ICAC enquiries revealed that Yeung lived in the aforesaid flat with her husband and another couple, while Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan had never resided there.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, Yeung admitted that Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan, who were her colleagues, had never resided at the flat. She also admitted that one of them asked for her permission to use the address for voter registratio n and she agreed. She later passed letters relating to their voter registrations received through her address to the trio.
Examination of the marked copies of the register confirmed that on the polling day on November 6, 2011, Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan obtained ballot papers and voted at the DC Election after having given to the electoral officer information that they knew to be materially false or misleading, the court was told.
Chan Siu-kwan, 44, cashier, had earlier been charged by the ICAC with one count of engaging in corrupt conduct with respect to voting at election, contrary to Section 16(1)(b)(i) of ECICO. She pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at Kowloon City Magistrate in August this year.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Newman Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Chris Ng.
Tai Hoi-lung, 50, and Chan Sun-hui, 32, both waiters, were each given a jail term of two months, while Yeung Pui-kwan, 42, cashier, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.
Tai and Chan earlier each pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in corrupt conduct with respect to voting at election, contrary to Section 16(1)(b)(i) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance (ECICO), while Yeung earlier pleaded guilty t o one count of conspiracy to defraud.
In sentencing, Magistrate Ms Cherry Hui Shuk-yee remarked that Yeung played a pivotal role in the vote-rigging scam by letting others use her address to register as electors.
The magistrate added that the jail terms of the defendants were reduced by one-third, taking into account their guilty pleas.
Upon the application of Yeung and Chan, the magistrate granted them cash bail of $5,000 each, pending their appeals against sentences. They were also ordered to surrender their travel documents, not to leave Hong Kong, and to report to the Police twice a week.
The court heard that on July 16, 2011, Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan submitted to the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) their applications for registering as electors at the DC Election.
In their applications, Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan respectively stated that a flat in Hung Wai Building, 3 Fa Yuen Street, Mongkok was their only or principal residential address.
ICAC enquiries revealed that Yeung lived in the aforesaid flat with her husband and another couple, while Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan had never resided there.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, Yeung admitted that Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan, who were her colleagues, had never resided at the flat. She also admitted that one of them asked for her permission to use the address for voter registratio n and she agreed. She later passed letters relating to their voter registrations received through her address to the trio.
Examination of the marked copies of the register confirmed that on the polling day on November 6, 2011, Tai, Chan and Chan Siu-kwan obtained ballot papers and voted at the DC Election after having given to the electoral officer information that they knew to be materially false or misleading, the court was told.
Chan Siu-kwan, 44, cashier, had earlier been charged by the ICAC with one count of engaging in corrupt conduct with respect to voting at election, contrary to Section 16(1)(b)(i) of ECICO. She pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at Kowloon City Magistrate in August this year.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Newman Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Chris Ng.